


Change of Heart

by Kye (Kyelidescope)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Love Triangle, Reajusting, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyelidescope/pseuds/Kye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow, after going back home after a really, really long and tiring battle that lasted for more or less four years, you'd be expecting that it's be easy to readjust, to live like a normal teenager.<br/>In reality, it's not.<br/>Sora, Riku, and Kairi have one more thing to deal with, and it's not the Mark of Mastery Exams.</p><p>It just happens to be the fact that Riku may or may not have a crush on Kairi and from there things get complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy! 
> 
> -Kye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy! 
> 
> -Kye

**Sora rested his head** on the white grains of sand on the beach. It was another typical day on the Island, the waves slowly coming back and forth, seagulls flying overhead. Hidden in the beach at the back that jutted out, the eighteen year old closed his eyes.

He can never stop thinking about those brutal years out of his comfort zone. Sure, it was good to be back home, but it never felt the same anymore.  

 

 

"Sora!" A familiar voice woke him from his sleep. 

 

Deja vu.

 

"Something wrong, Kai?" he lazily opened one eye. 

"What're you doing here?" She said, frowning. "It's so unlike you to be out here yourself."  
"just thought I'd take a nap here where it's quiet for once." He mumbled.  
Kairi giggled, lightly pecking his forehead "you sleepyhead."

"I love you too." He yawned nonchalantly.

 "Yawning is contagious, Sora." Kairi too,  covered her mouth and laid beside him. Sora tried not to blush at the sudden move.

 

"Are you sure about doing that here?" Sora warned, Remembering how Riku, the big brother figure, suddenly grew protective for no reason. 

"I don't really bother." She rested an arm around his chest. "Sora, I'm tired too, alright?"

Sora said nothing. It was clear what she meant.

With Xehanort gone, Sora had officially said goodbye to his teammates Donald and Goofy, along with the people he just recovered - Terra, Ventus, and Aqua - and it was a tearful one indeed. It made a large impact, and it was hard to just accept it willy nilly. 

"It's hard to believe that this whole thing lasted four years." He mutters once more.

 

"Actually, Sora, make that eighteen years for you." A deep voice contradicted his statement.

 

"Hey, Riku." Sora smiled weakly.  Riku had a point there, but it’s not something Sora wants to remember. Especially when Sora and Ven's hearts are linked since the brunette was born.

" Riku shrugged, laughing sarcastically. "To think that four years ago the two of us were racing on this obstacle course just to pick a name for the raft we didn't use."  
"Yeah." He smirks, sitting up. "I remember you wanted to name it Highwind."  
"Better than your Excalibur, Sora." Riku playfully mocks, sitting down on the sand beside Sora.

Sora lightly shoved him, driving Riku to the sand, laughing. 

 


	2. Chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy! 
> 
> -Kye
> 
> EDIT (10/27/17) : This prolouge has been shortened.

**The bright light shone through** the thin slits between the curtains, right into Sora's eyes as he lazily awoke.

Glancing at the clock hanging above his door, Sora noticed that he hadn't been inside his own home for a long time, still surrounded by his childish things. Poor Sora. already a few years behind the school, years left out of everything - including redecoration.  
Slowly, Sora got up, heading outside, not bothering to even clean his bedroom. It still confused him to know that destiny islands had survived a rough beating of a destroyed world. Sure, there were losses, but still...

 

Pushing the door open, he went towards the kitchen, where he could already hear his mom silently doing chores. She must've sweeped the house already.  
It felt familiar, but at the same time, foreign.

"Morning, mom." A greeting he said everyday, but stopped for four years. 

He remembered the first time he said that after he returned from the harsh battle, how his mom nearly cried. 

"Good morning, Sora." She faintly smiles. 

It was heartbreaking for the boy to see his mom had already grown old, despite her youthful attitude.   
He paused for a moment, thinking about it over and over. 

"I know what you're thinking, dear." She sighs, setting up the table.

"I-" 

Sora was just about to finish, just until the loud smash of a plate shattering all over the floor interrupted him. 

 

_"Mom!"_

 

Sora rushed over, tending to his mother. She can't have another nervous breakdown. Not today, not again.   
"Mom, are you alright?!" He tried to remain calm, retrieving a broom and a dustpan behind the kitchen's back door. 

"I'm fine.." She breathes.

 

"Mom.."

 

 

*

 

"I'm heading out!" Sora hollered.  
Thank goodness it's still summer vacation. 

Sora, Riku, and Kairi had to catch up, as they had been lagging for an entire school year, especially on the boys as their catching up before the Great War didn't help much. 

Rushing over to Riku's house, where he would be tutored with Riku - obiviously- and Kairi, Sora looked around him. People were milling around, minding their own business, but it was obivious that the Incident lingered in their thoughts. 

"Hey, Sora." Kairi smiled, meeting him by Riku's house.   
"Morning." Sora nodded, and went inside with Kairi. 

Before Sora could even open the door to Riku's place, the silver haired man was already there.

 

And he didn't look happy.

 

"You're late." He said, annoyed. "You know, I didn't ask our tutor to come over and wait for thirty minutes just to help you two catch up."

Sora let Kairi inside first, rolling his eyes at Riku, who probably made more progress than him already. 

"Especially you, Sora, considering that Kairi has been in school longer than you and I'm a grade higher."  
"Sorry, Miss..." Sora frowned. "What's your name again?"  
"You and I both know that I didn't come here from Radiant Garden to teach you, Sora." The blonde woman scowled. 

"Right. Then I shouldn't bother calling you by your real name then, _Larxene?"_ Riku confronted.

"In all due respect, boy, it's _Ms Larxene_ to you."

Awkward silence.

"Anyway, let's begin by reviewing what we learned a few years back." She clears her throat. "Before I have the urge to cast lightning on all of you."

 

*

 

Riku remained inside while the lovebirds were outside. He faced the person sitting on his couch, clueless about what to do. Yen Sid didn’t tell him that he would come here, so how was he supposed to expect him?

Lea couldn’t help but look outside and smirk. He was one of the first people who knew about Sora and Kairi, and he took every single opportunity to tease those two. Noticing Riku's presence, he motioned his head to the opening that led to the kitchen, saying that someone's there as well. 

Yume.

Yume was a companion of Riku’s when he was sent to Radiant Garden by the Master as his first assignment as a Keyblade Master in order to take care of a heartless outbreak. Yume was the first girl he had his eye on other than Kairi, and she would’ve been his first lover had she not rejected his feelings.

It’s been awkward ever since.

She was sitting on the table, his back facing him as the setting sun cast rays around her. And as usual, she was absentmindedly staring into space. What was on her mind? 

"Hey." He greeted.

She turned around, facing him with her eyes widened a little. 

"Hi." She muttered in response. 

 

*

 

The session of tutoring had started late in the morning until early evening, with lunch in between. Sora yawned as he watched Larxene leave Riku's place, still unused to the rough drills of school. 

_Why am I doing this, really?_

Sora gazed out into the sunset, blocked by the array of small houses. It didn't matter though. He can still remember the red sunset in Twilight Town, although it was not his own memory. 

_Red is the light that travels the fastest._

"Aren't you going back, Sora?" Kairi walked over, probably done with whatever she has to do with Riku.   
He sighs. "I just don't get why we need to catch up. We may not be using this sort of knowledge anyway."  
"You mean you never question it."

Sora remained silent. 

"Out of all people, you're still having your head stuck with your journeys as a Keyblade Wielder, and you're not even master yet." She sighs. "I mean, Riku already is one, considering that he has this weird communication gem in the living room whenever Yen Sid should contact him, and he's fine with it."

"Riku didn't meddle in any of the worlds, Kai. Unlike me, who everyone knows in every single world.."  
"Meddling doesn't break the rules, Sora. Even our predecessors did the same. The rules say you shouldn't say you're from another world."  
"You can't call _them_ our predecessors until they're dead, you know." Sora contradicts, refrencing Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, who now reside in the Land of Departure. 

"You miss them, don't you?" She frowns. 

Sora nods. 

“I really hate to interrupt,” Riku shows up, looking tired. “But we have guests.”

Sora looks up. “Who?”  
“Just get inside.”

 

*

 

Sora and Kairi soon entered the sitting room, and from the looks of it Sora didn’t like what he was seeing.

“Do you know what time it is?” Lea faces Sora, without any need of introductions or hellos. The smirk on his face was still prominent, and Lea nodded at Riku as if to tell him to break the news.

“Sora,” Riku announced. “It’s time you retook the test.” 

Sora, despite the initial shock, went inside the dining room as requested by Riku. Just like before, he had to listen to whatever Yume had to say about this – what the test would be like, how long it would take, and of course, the importance of privacy in the test. – It wouldn’t take long, he had reassured Kairi.

Now the three of them sit together in silence, waiting as the clock ticks on by.

Kairi tried to remain calm. She had went through this once already. But why does looking at Sora’s sad face makes her so anxious?

“He’s probably nervous.” Riku commented, as if he read Kairi’s mind. “You shouldn’t be so worked up over this. Sora wouldn’t want to see you stressed over him, right?”  
Kairi remained silent.  
“After all,” He continued. “We knew this would happen one day. All we can do is to wish him luck and see him off when he leaves.”  
“If you guys even manage to see him off." Lea muttered to himself. 

   

*

 

It had already started to drizzle by the time when they reached Kairi’s little home. Not one word of the test was discussed, causing an awkward atmosphere between them.

“Are you alright, spending the night in here alone?” Sora’s brows furrowed.  
“It’s my house, Sora.” Kairi pouted. “I’ll be fine.”  

“That’s not what I meant.” Sora rolled his eyes.

He was referring to Kairi’s fear of storms.

“I told you, I’ll be okay.”  Kairi continued.  
“You do know I can always stay at your place just in case..”  
Kairi shook her head. “You have to prepare for the test, Sora.”

Sora smiled weakly, leaning to kiss her on the forehead.

“Good night, Kai. Call me if anything goes wrong, alright? I'm sorry things had to turn out this way. I'd really like to spend more time with you."  
Kairi nods, hugging him tight. 

“I know."


	3. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> -Kye
> 
> EDIT (5/12/16) : A section of chapter three has been moved here :)  
> EDIT (10/27/17) : Some plot points have been fixed for consistency (on my FC)

**Kairi tossed** and turned in her sleep. 

The storm was still raging on, and it was as if the roof above her head would fly open any minute. A crack of thunder echoed in the house, and she had half a mind to go outside and slay heartless with her keyblade, which was practically never going to happen unless Sora forgot something.

She remembered what Sora had told her before.

 

_“Call me if you need anything.”_

 

She wouldn’t do that. Sora needed the rest. After all, he’s leaving soon.

Her cellphone buzzed against her bedside table, and slowly she picked it up, the bright screenlight hurting her eyes a little. 

 

_I’m outside, and I just got home after my night shift. It’s pouring outside and I can’t go home. Hurry and open the door._

 

Right. Riku was already nineteen. Legal working age and all that.

 

_Kairi, I’m sure you can’t sleep right now and is currently reading this text. Now open up._

 

Kairi smiled to herself. That Riku. 

The pounding that she never noticed got louder and louder. If he’s been patient to wait for Sora to wake up for a year, he should be able to do the same with her. Kairi got out of bed, going outside in but a large sweater that belonged to Sora. 

And just like that, Riku was there, umbrella in hand.

“You know where your clothes are.” Kairi took a deep breath. “Come in.

“Why didn’t you put them in your bathroom, and not the one in the kitchen?” He teased.

“I don’t have time for this right now, Riku.” Kairi frowned.

Often, Sora, Riku, and Kairi would spend the night together in any of their houses. Sometimes it would be all three of them in Riku’s bed. As a result the girls in Kairi’s class would tease her of sleeping with two guys, either separately or at the same time, even though they know well enough that they had been doing so ever since they were kids.

Sora knows that Riku likes to stay over at Kairi’s if he couldn’t get home due to the weather. Among the three only Kairi lives in town, the boys living by the beach. Sora would do the same if he still didn’t live with his mom. Even after they started dating, Sora still allows Riku to sleep over at her house.

But somehow, it felt different this time.

Riku entered just as Kairi plopped on the covers of her bed, wearing a simple tee and shorts. Nonchalantly he laid beside her, feeling pretty much awkward

 

“Night, Kairi.” Riku whispered.  
"Night."

*

 

Kairi was still asleep by the time Riku woke up. She was cocooned by the covers like a small child.

_Cute. He thought. Just not with me._

He sat up, preparing to leave the messy bed, with the throw pillow strewn about and the wrinkled sheets.

“Wait.”

Looking back, Riku noticed that Kairi’s hand was loosely holding onto his wrist.

“Sora left already, did he?”

Riku didn’t answer at first. He didn’t want to tell her this, but he had anticipated the fact that Sora had told his mum after dropping Kairi off, then meeting Lea and Yume back at Riku’s place, where they would head to the door of the world. Those two asked to crash at his place for a few hours, after all.

Yume did warn him that Sora has to arrive by the next day..

 

“Honestly, Kairi..” He murmured. “I don’t know."

 

*

 

It’s midmorning. Birds are chirping about, and the neighborhood is quiet, which is odd, considering that her neighbors should be out and about by now.

Riku and Kairi sat together on the dining table, sharing a bowl of fruit for breakfast. A brief message from Sora had came in earlier, confirming that Sora had left sometime in the night already. Of course, that’s what Riku had read. He didn’t show Kairi any of it except for the fact that Sora is already gone.

“Such a pity.” Kairi comments. “Sora will miss the bonfire party today.”

Riku snatched a pineapple slice. The bonfire was held every year to kick of summer even though it had already started. The party began at nine, lasting until the wee hours of the morning before the sun rose. Riku himself never attended, but it was the talk of town.

“It’s today?” He asked, a little confused.  
“Yeah, you forgot?”

Riku shrugs. “I may have spent more time in Radiant Garden than in my own home.”  
Kairi frowned. “You’re going to bring _that_ up?” 

Kairi and Lea are the only people outside Radiant Garden who know of Riku’s issue with Yume. or, what _was_ his relationship. He met Yume on his first mission as acting Keyblade Master, and after wrapping up said mission, things happened  led to Riku being in a mentally depressed state – you can’t exactly blame a man who got rejected for several reasons, after all.

“Never mind.” He sighs.  
“You’re lucky you two are still on good terms.” Kairi mutters. “Anyway, was it like that the first time?”  
Riku pondered for awhile, trying to remember the moment they took the first Exam. “More or less..” He tried to explain. “But we just left. No private discussions on what to do or what not to do. We were already told in advance that we would do it soon, though.”  
“Must be new then.” She inferred.

The small talk continued onwards from that point, lasting until noon, when Riku figured that he should head home to clean up the mess of yesterday.

“Are you coming to the party then?” She asked hopefully.  
“We’ll see.”

 

*

 

Riku had half expected to see Lea still there, which is impossible now, considering that his job is done. His house wasn’t in a complete mess, but Kairi had told him enough that one’s home must be tidy every day, otherwise one couldn’t get any work done.

Truthfully, he hated cleaning up. It was an arduous task, wasting hours on it that could be spent on doing something more productive.

He bagged up all the garbage in a large plastic bag, the last thing he had to do, and went outside. In the distance, he could see people on the Play Island, the exact same one he had spent hours playing in with Sora and Kairi, preparing for the bonfire party that would take place late in the night.

His house wasn’t too far from the nearest recycling bin, where he and everyone else had to sort out their trash, but he managed to see Tidus, running around with his long rod like a child he may or may not still be.

“Hey Riku,” He asked. “Where’s Sora?”  
“I don't know.” Was his nonchalant reply.

Sora, Kairi, and Riku have been so used to the prospect of lying about one’s whereabouts, especially if it involves the other worlds; that it has become second nature to them. And that includes Sora’s mother as well.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” He protests.  
“I just don’t.” He repeats, preparing to sort the trash accumulated throughout the day.  
“Has Kairi seen him then?”

Riku shook his head.

“But isn’t the bonfire today?" 

It never occurred to him that Kairi would go to the party without Sora this year. Riku had always caught a glimpse of Kairi dragging Sora with her to the docks, the two hopping on Sora’s boat to the party.

 

*

 

Kairi stared outside her window. She could see people of her age walking by with their friends, all headed for the Play Island. Of course she wanted to go. But with who? Sora was out of the question, and if she went with Riku would it be considered cheating?  
She can’t call Selphie either. She’s probably with Tidus and Wakka already.

Sundown had passed, and knowing the hazards of rowing at night, Kairi may as well call it a day and skip the party this year.

 

Then, just as she was about to switch off the lights, someone was knocking.

 

*

 

“Riku?”

Of course, He didn’t go to Kairi’s house just to ask her out to the party for romantic reasons. They would just go as friends, right? No one would question it, considering that the three were practically inseparable.

“Hey.” He started off, going straight to the point. “Get dressed. We’re going.”

 

*

 

She had never expected Riku to accompany her to the party. Would Sora mind?

The two walked to the beach adjacent to Riku’s house, hopping onto his small rowboat. It’s already dark, and the fire in the distance is already lit. Did Kairi really want to go to the bonfire, even if it’s late, and knowing that she would go with Riku? 

“Something on your mind, Kairi?”

It’s clear that Riku knew Kairi wasn’t too excited with this.

“Yeah..” She stammered. “Riku, why did you ask me out to the bonfire?”

It didn’t take long for him to answer, as if he had seen it coming already.

  
“Kairi, I didn’t want to see you sad.”

 

*

 

They didn’t say much for the remainder of the trip. Riku simply rowed and Kairi stared at the ripples on the dark ocean. She remembered being scared of these dark waters. Likening them to a dark abyss with things lurking underneath. But now she knew that there are worse out there.

Then why is she still terrified of falling in?

“We’re here, Kairi.” Riku announces. “Stop staring in the water or else you’ll fall in.”  
Kairi nods. “Sorry.”  
Riku shrugs nevertheless. “You don’t have to apologize. Now let’s go.”

Riku docked the rowboat on the shabby wooden pier, tying the rope onto one of the poles that supported the flimsy structure. He stood up and glanced at Kairi, who was patiently watching him. Stretching out his hand, Kairi too, rose as she took Riku’s hand for support as the two walked onto the dock.

The two walked all the way to the small beach, to which not many people took notice of their arrival. The beach is crowded, with a bonfire in the center and dance music playing from speakers someone probably brought.

“Ready, Kairi?” Riku asked her. This is her first time going here without Sora, after all, and it is guaranteed that this experience will be different for her.

She takes a deep breath. “Yeah. I should find Selphie, I suppose. She’s probably with everyone right now.”

Riku smiles a little. She’ll do okay. “I’ll wait here.”

“Okay.”


	4. Chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> -Kye
> 
> EDIT (5/12/16) : The next chapter has been deleted and merged into this one, thus bringing the chapter in this story to eight instead of nine. A section of this chapter has also been moved to the previous one.

**It felt strange** to be here without Sora. He was always the life of the party and made sure that Kairi’s having the time of her life. Even if she is in the middle of the action with all of her peers that she knew from school, she felt a little out of place. People were inviting her into their conversations that she barely paid attention to. Others asked her to join their games which she got bored of and had no interest.

Kairi hadn’t seen Selphie at all ever since she came here. Wasn’t she supposed to look for her in the first place? How could she forget?

Gosh, was it because of Sora that she had a great time? That because of her coming with him people are actually talking to her like she is a well-known person in school?

“There you are!” Someone tapped Kairi from the back. She turned around, relieved to see her best friend. “Why haven’t I caught you before?”  
Kairi grinned. “I was late.”  
Selphie looked confused. “You’re rarely late. Where is Sora, anyway?”

It didn’t take long to answer that question. “He’s going to the mainlands. Not sure why.”

“Aren’t you his girlfriend, Kairi?” Selphie teased, shoving her lightly. “You should know!”  
“Too bad then.” Kairi shrugged, holding in a giggle.

“How did you get here, anyway? I thought you were scared to go out into the ocean alone.” Selphie asked, changing the topic  
“Riku took me here. He’s chilling in the sidelines now, actually.” Kairi shrugged.  
Selphie raised an eyebrow. “Riku? It’s his first time, isn’t it? Doesn’t he hate these kinds of events?”  
“He sort of asked me out, actually. I think he feels bad for me since Sora couldn’t take me.”  
“And you left him alone?” Selphie frowned.  
Kairi shrugged again. “I went to look for you, then I got caught up in the party and forgot, to be honest.”  
Selphie let out a small chuckle. “Gosh, Kairi. That’s really mean of you! But knowing Riku, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, right?”

Kairi opened her mouth to answer, but somehow she couldn’t find the right words.

“I don’t know, actually..”

Selphie frowned. “Kairi..-“

Before she could finish her sentence, Kairi noticed Tidus and Wakka barging into their conversation.

“Hey girls!” Wakka broke in. “Why aren’t you with the party people? Aren’t you usually with the party people?”

“Party people sounds kinda weird, Wakka.” Tidus commented, looking more sober than his friend with the blitzball. “Are you drunk?”  
“I’m fine, Tidus. Don’t worry about me!”

Kairi and Selphie exchanged glances, giggling in unison.

“Boys.” They both commented.

“Anyway,” Tidus bounced back to topic. “We shouldn’t hang around the sidelines. It’s not fun, you know! Come on, let’s join the fun!  
“This isn’t the sidelines, Tidus.” Kairi laughed.  
“Shut up, Kairi!” Tidus laughed as well.

 

*

 

Already the moment Kairi merged in with the mass of teenagers, she has been absorbed by the party, in a way.

Certainly Riku’s attendance wasn’t missed as well. People had asked why he had come, about where Sora is as of now, and why he isn’t here with Kairi; who is enjoying her time with her peers while Riku himself chose to stick to the sides and listen to the music currently playing.

Well, she seemed to have a good time, right?

He looked over to the small tunnel that led to the door of this world. A few suspicious couples are sneaking in and out, going for makeout sessions as usual.

It’s really sad to see his childhood playsite being used for teenage traditions. No longer will people remember where they raced on the beach, or where they had sword fights, but rather where they first kissed.

Disgusting.

Riku still watched his friend having fun with Tidus and co., but there seems to be something peculiar about it. Sure, it is clear that Kairi is happy to be with her friends and all, but something is off, and he can’t seem to put his finger onto it.

The music soon changed to a much livelier one, and he noticed that someone started to pass out drinks and light snacks. He wasn’t particularly hungry, and he knew that those drinks weren’t the usual lemonade and soda.

A lot of people started to dance to the beat, jumping in place despite the absence of someone controlling the music. Heck, People are giving way to Tidus and Wakka, who seem to require a lot of space to dance, with Selphie and Kairi taking advantage of said freed space.

Selphie is dancing with Kairi, alright. But Kairi looks different compared to everyone else.

Is she lonely without Sora?

 

*

 

Kairi didn’t seem to be in the mood to dance, honestly. It really didn’t feel the same without Sora. It felt like a betrayal to go to the annual summer bonfire without him.

The ‘dancing session’ had ended, for strange reasons in which she may as well get along with, and people are now sitting on the beach, a few in other places. She was lucky that no one chose to chill near the paopu tree. That is a special spot for Sora, Riku, and her.

“Are you tired, Kairi?” Selphie asked, bouncing her away from her thoughts. “You didn’t seem so energetic during the rave.”  
“I don’t think that qualifies as a rave, Selph.” She chuckles, trying to sound upbeat.  
“Don’t derive from the topic, Kai.” Selphie frowns. “Are you thinking about the boys?”

She remained silent.

“Come on.” Selphie sighs. “Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

They stood up from their seats by the bonfire and walked away in silence. What was supposed to be the sounds of the ocean at night were dominated by the voices of people, conversations she couldn’t comprehend.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Selphie finally asks.  
“Yeah. It sucks without Sora.”

“But haven’t you told me that Sora sucks at asking you out on a date? He’s not much of a romantic type, is he?”  
“He can be when he tries.” Kairi justifies. “Who knows, he will change when he goes back.”  
“I hope so.” Selphie agrees. “Your love life is lame.”

“Hey!”

“Just kidding.” She chuckles. “Speaking about boys, haven’t you tried to ask Riku to join you today?”  
Kairi looks at her friend in disbelief. “I’m already dating, Selphie. I can’t do that to Sora!”  
“As a friend, Kairi.” Selphie sighs. “Who knows, Riku would make good company. I’m sure Sora doesn’t mind you hanging out with him.”

Kairi doesn’t say anything. 

“He cares about you, y’know.” Selphie winks. “Have you ever considered the things he has done for you?”

 

"There you are."

 

Kairi and Selphie looked up towards their right to see Riku walking towards them. He didn't look too amused, however.

Selphie managed to nod at Kairi before taking off, leaving her alone.

"Seriously?" Kairi sighed.

Riku chuckled to himself as he neared the girls. Holding a light blue popsicle in his hand, he motioned it over to Kairi. "Want one?" He offered.

Kairi noticed that he himself also held a popsicle, and smiled a little as she accepted the treat. "I didn't know they sell sea salt ice cream here."   
"Someone brought a cooler full of them." He explains. "I thought you needed a little cheering up, so I got two."   
Kairi couldn't help but giggle at this. "Thanks," She said. "I could use ice cream." 

Quietly, Kairi took a bite of the salty yet sweet concoction, savoring the cold sensation on her tongue. She was reminded of the first time she had this, back when she found her way into Twilight town and got treated to the dessert by Hayner and his friends. Back then, she had no idea where the two boys are, and needing a break from the confusion that would soon mark her entry into the Keyblade business, Hayner bought her ice cream. 

She was also reminded of the many times Sora took her out for ice cream. Whenever it was after school or after lessons, Sora would take Kairi out for an ice cream date. 

He had yet to take her out formally, however. 

She remembered Selphie's words then. What has Riku done for Kairi in Sora's absence?

She hadn’t thought of it before, for her thoughts were preoccupied in the dream of Sora making her feel like she was the happiest girl in the world, despite the fact that they were never regarded a ‘formal couple,’ like a few of her schoolmates who had far better stories about their love life compared to Kairi’s and Sora’s.

But on the other hand, the person who look out for her, making sure she is safe and happy in any situation is standing right next to her.

 

*

 

The two sat beside each other on the bridge that took them to the paopu tree, overlooking the party. Neither one of them had any idea of the time, and neither seemed to care.

The booming dance music that mixed in with the partygoers as they laughed, chattered, and jumped around to the beat had died down, and so had the bonfire. Everyone knew that once the bonfire had burned out, it would be time to go. Everyone would sail back home, some rowing if they were still sober enough to.

The dance music had been replaced with a slower tune, with a waltz-like melody. Riku and Kairi had finished their ice cream and they sat together in silence, not exchanging a single thing. It wasn’t all that bad, nor was it awkward. It was peaceful to Kairi, and she enjoyed sitting together with Riku. Kairi and Riku’s drinks and ice cream sticks were neatly stacked and set aside, waiting to be thrown out. After all, it is a crime to pollute the clear blue waters here.

It wasn’t a lie that Kairi and Riku were drunk after a several rounds, and the slow music seemed to accentuate it.

“Kairi.” Riku softly spoke. She noticed that his cheeks were rather flushed from the alcohol. Good thing it was because of the beverage, otherwise she would’ve questioned what he was thinking.  
“Yes?” She asked in an equally soft voice. She wasn’t guilty of having flushed cheeks too. She could practically feel the heat.

“Will you dance with me?”

 

*

 

It felt odd to hold Kairi by her waist. Riku wasn’t accustomed to it yet, especially when she had quite literally _blossomed_ after his small detour in Castle Oblivion.

He had no problem with carrying her body when she had lost her heart.  
He had no problem when he had to shield her from Saix as Ansem.  
So why does he feel so weird holding her close?

Somehow, it felt wrong to do this. But then again, to have someone close to you in privacy also felt exhilarating. The two of them lightly spun around the bridge left and right, drunk enough to not care if anyone was watching but sober enough to maintain balance.

What does Kairi feel about this? Surely she must be undergoing similar thoughts, right?

Kairi’s head was just below his jawline, so he couldn’t see what was going on in her head unless she looked up, hence he wouldn’t know how she felt. Is she content? Is she unfeeling? Is she sad?

Again, why does feel like this is very wrong?

 

*

 

Kairi wondered if she had made a mistake letting Riku hold her this way. She felt like something was missing, something that would’ve let her know that she shouldn’t do this.

But if she wanted to be honest, she was yearning for this sort of moments.

Slowly, slowly, she rested her head on Riku and they stilled. Their so called dancing had led them to the paopu tree, and now she could barely hear the music. The bonfire was but a small yellow glint in the corner of her eye. Her nerves felt numbed, and she could clearly hear the sound of Riku’s heartbeat.

And it was racing.

She was really tired. She didn’t care anymore, if this is wrong or not. Her hands snaked down from his neck and she held Riku close to her. She heard Riku mumble something but she didn’t register what it was.

Slowly, Slowly, Riku’s fingers found its way to her chin, and Riku bent lower, closing his eyes as he softly kissed Kairi. 


	5. Chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy! 
> 
> -Kye

**Her head throbbed** when she woke up.

The first thing she realised that morning was the fact that she wasn't dressed for sleep, but rather for a party.  
The other thing is that her breath stunk like alcohol. On this realization she remembered that she went to the bonfire party and was drinking.

What else had happened?

She took a deep breath. Kairi is in her bedroom, and before she could ask anything about the party, she should clean herself up.

Questions flooded her mind about last night. What did she do? When and how did she come home?

The moment she entered the bathroom, she felt yesterday's leftovers well up in her throat. Immediately, she ran to the toilet, vomiting whatever she drank last night. This is why she had avoided drinking. If only she had remembered it last night!

She stood back up, flushing it all down the drain. Quickly, she peeled off her clothes and stepped into the shower.

When she went into her kitchen, she tried to remember what food to eat to help stop a hangover. Naturally, the safest option would be fruit, but she had ran out, finishing what's left of her fruit with Riku yesterday morning.

And gosh, is she hungry.

Speaking of Riku, where is he? She remembered that she had left with him, so what happened to him that night then?

She rummaged around her kitchen some more, hoping to scavenge something to eat for breakfast.

Well, something that cures this annoying hangover.

 

She was about to give up when suddenly there was a slight knocking on her door.

Would that be Riku?

She headed to the front door, and as her expectations, it was Riku, looking as serious as usual. She also noticed that he had a plastic bag full of fruit that seemed to bulge out.

"I remembered that you ran out of fruit again." He started off sarcastically. "You hungry?"  
Kairi chuckled. "You seem to know what's up in my house."  
"Well without me and Sora, who else would make sure you're okay?" He rolls his eyes as Kairi closes the door behind him.

Riku and Kairi stores the fruits Riku stockpiled in her fridge, putting in a few fruits at a time, leaving some for the breakfast fruit bowl. Kairi sets aside some grapes and a few kiwi and sets the table while Riku finishes off the work.

Riku must've finished with his house chores already if he has the spare time to come here and help Kairi. But it isn't like she could get the boys to help sweep the floor and wipe the tabletops and all that.  
While Sora could simply help his mother with the chores, Riku and Kairi had to do it themselves. Unlike Kairi, Riku always chose to do it the first thing in the morning whilst Kairi wanted to eat first before tackling the daily activity.

"Was it really yesterday that we shared breakfast together?" Kairi muses as she carefully slices the kiwis into halves with a small kitchen knife. "A lot of time seemed to have passed since then."  
"It's probably because of the party." He states. "You had too much fun during the bonfire party."

Kairi uses a spoon to scoop out the kiwi fruit while Riku plops in a piece of the grape in his mouth.

"I barely remembered anything from yesterday." She adds. "Do you remember anything?"  
Riku doesn't say much. "I wouldn't want to discuss about it early in the morning."

"Why not?"

"Trust me. That topic is too large to handle for a morning."

 

*

 

Riku remembered last night clearly.

It was the night when he danced with Kairi for the first time, and it is also the time where they shared a kiss, despite the fact that they were both rather drunk.

What in the world was he thinking?!

He didn't want to share any more details about the party right now, because he himself hadn't gotten over the fact that he kissed Kairi behind Sora's back. He felt guilty, like a traitor. Why did he kiss her? Should he blame himself or how drunk he was last night?

As he watched Kairi sweep the floor, he thought of how he should break the news to her.

 

"Hey Riku?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Do you know what happened last night at the party?"

Riku paused. "What do you want to know about the party?"

He turned to see Kairi, who finished her housework, putting away the broom. She walked over and stood in front of him. He was about to leave after accompanying Kairi for the morning and she still wanted to know.

"Riku," She spoke, as if whispering. "Did anything weird happen to me during the party?"

"You drank." he put it bluntly. "You drank more than me."

He frowns. He knows that this isn't a satisfactory answer for Kairi, needless to say he hoped that he could get away by using this answer.

"Is that all?" She asked. "I would've done something strange if I was drunk."

"You were with me, Kai." He tried to lie. "You tried something, but I stopped you."  
"What is that something?" She asked, persistent.  
"You didn't specify." He mutters.

He bit his tongue. He shouldn't have said that. He shouldn't have lied in the first place. Now Kairi is bound to catch him lying.

"Riku, what are you hiding?"

There it is.

"Riku, please. I need to know."

Riku looks away from her, not wanting to meet her eyes. "You wouldn't want to hear it."  
"I can take it. I promise."  
"Are you sure?"

"I'll try." She genuinely says. "Either way, it doesn't matter much, right? Nothing will change."

Riku frowns a little, tensing up. "It matters, Kairi."

"Then tell me!"

Riku didn't want to tell her, but if he stalled any longer, Kairi would be angry. But if he told her straightforwardly, how would she react?

"Kairi," he begins.  
"Please, tell me." She says.

 

"We kissed."


	6. Chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy! 
> 
> -Kye
> 
>  Note (1/25/16)  
> Ah, It's been so long since I saw this website! I missed the fandom-verses so much! With so many art blocks and writer blocks, I've decided to redo the storyline, however the plot will still remain intact. This was all for the sole purpose of making the story longer and clearer, and well... More dramatic. hehe. 
> 
> Don't worry, even if I don't update as much, I'll still continue to keep this story in mind. I even have the story plotted out already (sort of..)
> 
> Old readers, if you're waiting for chapter nine and shocked to see chapter eight gone, please read from the first chapter once again, because even though the first chapter is untouched, I've added a few more things on the earlier chapters, and then the full rewrite by chapter four. 
> 
> I have a lot on my plate, and this story is just about one of them!
> 
> EDIT (5/12/16): As stated in chapter three, two chapters have been merged, bringing the total chapters to eight.

**Riku chose** his words carefully. 

 

 

He didn't say 'I kissed you,' or 'You kissed me.'

 

Specifically, he said "we kissed."

 

And to Kairi, it meant that one of the two kissed each other, and the other had returned it. It wasn't one sided, and she knew that.  

 

"We were drunk." She said after a long pause.

She will not let this one mishap that happened in the night after a round of shots get in her way and ruin her close knit friendship. 

Not on her watch. 

"And you don't feel bad for what you did not remember, Kairi?" Riku asked, voice rising a little. "Or is it nothing, since Sora won't know?"  
"Then tell me, Riku." Kairi continued. "What did we do? Or are you not prepared to tell me?"

Riku took a deep breath. "We had Sea-Salt popsicles. We took a few shots. We danced to a slow song. You hugged me by the Paopu tree, I kissed you first, and you kissed back."

He paused, wondering if Kairi will say anything to that. She didn't. 

"If you were wondering, Kairi," He sighs.  "I was sober enough to row you home."

Kairi searched her mind for these memories Riku had bluntly said. It was still a blank, to her misfortune. Gazing at Riku's sour face, she knew that she couldn't change the fact that Riku felt guilty of doing all of this with her last night. 

_Sora could still accept this if we had done this drunkedly, right?  
_ _It's not like anyone saw us, right?_

_Of course, we could get in serious trouble if someone blackmails us._

But among these thoughts that swimmed in her head, one question was prominent. 

If Riku felt really guilty, was it because of the fact that he felt like a traitor, or is it his feelings towards Kairi? 

 

Riku was already turning the doorknob when she asked that question. 

 

"Riku, you don't have any feelings for me, do you?"

 

His answer came as he opened the door, not bothering to look at Kairi. 

 

"I don't know."

 

* 

 

Riku needed a break. He needed time to think.  
If Kairi had accepted last night's events like it was nothing, why is Riku this upset? 

 

If he could lock himself in somewhere, he could have privacy to himself and sit around, thinking about this matter, he could do it right now. 

 

What if Kairi came looking for him?

 

_"Riku, you don't have any feelings for me, do you?"_

_"_ _I don't know."_

The short conversation relayed over and over, annoying as it is. Oh, why did he say that? He could've just said no, and the two could get over it like it was nothing. 

But he didn't, and he couldn't get over it, not when he had started it, and _especially_ not when Kairi had got over it already. Heck, for all he knew Sora would've pretended like it was _nothing_ if he knew about this!

The guilt was overwhelming. But Riku knew he would learn to forget it like Kairi. He was the one who started this anyway, so the guilt was simply one-sided. But the problem now is that Riku was asking _himself_ if he had any feelings for Kairi if he acted like that last night. Was it like that, or a new gentleman-ly treatment for a lonely girl who was left behind by her boyfriend?

 

_Look what mess you've gotten yourself into!_

*

 

"You were drunk." She kept telling him. "You were drunk, and last night was just drunken actions."

Kairi was willing to overlook this if it meant that their friendship will still be preserved. But to Riku, with his guilt, frustration, and anger, it wasn't that easy. 

He should learn to move on if she was willing to do the same, but if he was hesitant and persistent on contemplating this mistake, would his guilt say that he may or may not have feelings for her?

"Why can't you let this go, Riku?" She said, gripping onto his shirt. "It was just another drunk night! Nothing happened, right?" 

"Hiding the truth doesn't make things easier, Kairi." He remained on his side of opinions. "Even if we hid this, what if Sora found out? It's impossible for someone not to see us at the party and not tell him that we kissed!" 

Kairi remained quiet. "I just.."

"what?"

"I don't want this friendship to end, Riku." She cried. "Can't you understand that? It was hard for me without Sora as it is, and I wouldn't be able to take it any longer if _all three_ of us were seperated too.."

She was sobbing at this point. When had she become this emotional? _For goodness' sake, Kairi! Calm down!_

"Then what do you want to do about this?" Riku asked, frowning. "I'm sorry about making you cry, Kai, but I'm telling you, if Sora finds out it'll be a miracle if he lets it slide." 

_But Sora knows what it's like to be drunk, and why you did the things you did during that state, so there's a high chance he will not forgive you._

Kairi knew that all too well. But now it was her turn to be dumbfounded. 

 

"I don't know.." She squeaked. "Oh Riku, what mess have I gotten into?!" 

 

_What has befallen us? Will we ever be the same again? Will we still look at each other the same way?_

_*_

He hated seeing her like this. In fact, he hated himself for causing this. 

_Riku, what have you done?_

None of this would have happened if he didn't kiss her that night. None of this would have happened if he..

 

_if he.._

_If he had fallen in love with Kairi in the first place._

 

"It's my fault." He mutters. "It's my fault for kissing you in the first place." 

Kairi looked up, anguish clearly plastered on her face. "Riku.."

 

"Sorry." He muttered. "I have to go."

 

"No!" She cried out. "Please, don't.."

_If only Sora was here..._

 

Kairi felt like crying, and the urge to just spill her feelings out on someone was strong. But naturally, the people she could vent out her feelings to were both involved in this, so who can she turn to?

 

*

 

The door knocked, a light tap in the empty house. Getting up, Kairi made sure she looked _okay enough_ before opening the door, looking like nothing happened. 

It was Selphie. 

 

"I was checking to see if you made it back okay." She grinned. "Guess Riku brought you home, eh?" 

"Yeah." She sheepishly replied. "The hangover wasn't too bad." 

"Good to hear it then." Selphie happily cheered. "Anyway, did something happen between you and Riku? I saw him storm out of the house before i came here."

Kairi remained still for awhile. Selphie wasn't a gossip, she knew that very well; but normally it wasn't her she would vent out to. 

"It's a long story." She said dejectedly. 

"I'm listening." Selphie smiles warmly. "Go on."


	7. Chapter six

**"I'd be willing to** let it all slide like nothing had happened." She explained. "But Riku doesn't want to let it go that way, and he's fiercely persistent about it." 

Selphie sat next to Kairi, frowning. "Then the only thing you can do is to let Riku be on his own."

Kairi stays still. 

"Even if you wanted to do everything you can for the sake of your relationships, Riku is off on his own, and it's best that we leave him be." She continues. "Either way, you will still get to meet him, so there's only hoping for the fact that you will make up and thing's will get back to normal before Sora is back from the Mainland."

"I can't just stay still and let Riku be his stubborn self." Kairi retorts. "I need to fix this before Sora gets back. I don't want to bottle this up."

"Then _talk_ to him." Selphie smiles a little. "If it doesn't work out last time, make it work _this time."_

*

 

Riku kicked the palm tree, sending all of the coconuts down, lightly crashing on the sand. 

Not even the rhythmic swish of the waves could calm him. He shouted in anger, shouting at himself for his actions. Of course he can't let this slide, no matter how much Kairi begged him to. It was his mistake that dragged Kairi into the mess that was directly related with the fact that he may or may not have feelings for her. 

_I was the one who made sure you were safe when Sora could not._

He picked up an unripe coconut, flinging it into the ocean and splashing rather loudly into the ocean. 

No one was at the play island at the moment, and he could get enough privacy to be himself at the gathering of trees by the obstacle course, the same location where he saw Kairi sleep beside Sora before all of this happened. 

 

"I knew you would be here."

 

Riku glanced at the source of the voice, meeting the eyes of a rather calm yet dejected Kairi.

"Kairi, I.." He stumbles.   
She shakes her head. "I brought ice cream for two." 

Sighing, Riku takes one from the plastic bag, tearing open the wrapper of the Sea Salt Popsicle and sticking it in his mouth. 

"Why did you come here?" He asked, taking the condiment out after taking a small bite. 

"We're not done, Riku." She gazed at the grains of sand by her feet. "You and I both know that very well."  
"I'm not sure if we're in the right sense to talk about this." He frowns.  
"At least by doing this we'll untie a few knots." She doesn't relent. "I just wanted to talk it out with you, and I'll stop bothering with you about this.. event."

Kairi's eyelids lowered a little as she sat on the sand, pulling her knees to her chin. 

"It doesn't feel nice to be in a tense We're-not-talking situation with anyone." She began after a small pause. "It makes me feel sad, like I've made the wrong step." 

Riku sat down next to her. He's been so focused on scolding himself for his choice of actions that he hasn't considered to think about how Kairi would feel about it. 

"I don't feel like it's right to pretend this never happened, Riku;" She continues without asking for his opinion. "But if we had to make up about this, I don't know if things will be back the way they were again."

"Kairi." Riku took a deep breath. If he is to continue being the protector, he needed to step in. A Princess of Heart should not be sad for prolonged periods. 

"What?" She quietly asked. 

 

"There was a reason why I chose to kiss you that day." He admitted slowly. 

 

Kairi looked at him sadly, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Is it right to tell her? 

He took a few seconds to remember what she was afraid of. Of the things never going back to what she was used to.   
She'd had to adapt. He thought. But making someone adapt like this felt mean. Harsh. 

 

"Kairi," He started, clenching his fists. "I think I have feelings for you."

 

*

 

_"There is likely only one reason to why Riku is acting like this about it." Selphie assumed in a warning tone._

_"I think he likes you."_

*

 

Kairi had noticed that she hadn't even ate her popsicle and now it's melting, dripping onto the sand. 

What should she say about this? 

 

_I don't know if things will be back the way they were again._

_That's the thing. They won't._

 

"I had to say it someday, you know." Riku muttered, as if knowing that she wanted more of an explanation. 

"When did you realise that?" She asked quietly. 

Riku took another bite of his popsicle that was also melting. 

"I guess I just figured out today. But chances are, it had started a long time ago and I never noticed."

"What are we going to do then?" Kairi gazed at him. "You know I'm already taken, and-"   
"I am aware that Sora is going to come back, Kai." Riku cuts her off. "It's not like he's going to have an _accident_ mid-test. 

"Riku.."

"Forget it." He stands up and drops the popsicle. "Forget I said anything."

Before Riku could take another step, he noticed that Kairi's fingers are laced around his wrist.

"You deserve to be happy, Riku." Kairi softly says. "I'm sorry you got into this situation."

"I'm sorry too." He sighs.

 

"Then can we all put this behind us?" She releases her grip. 

 

_Is it even possible?_

 

Riku bites his tongue. "Let me kiss you for the last time and I'll pretend that last night never happened."


	8. Chapter seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> -Kye
> 
> EDIT (5/12/16) : Several minor changes has been made, regarding the spacing of paragraphs in the chapters - removal of awkward paragraph gaps, joining up several sentences and lines into a paragraph, merging of two chapters, shifting a paragraph back a chapter..- but as the story is generally unchanged, the whole thing remains intact.  
> EDIT (10/27/17) : Plot points updated for consistency (on my FC)

**_"You sure?"_ **

**_  
_**_"Yeah. I promise. This is the last time."_

  

 

_"Okay then."_

 

*

 

Kairi cannot stop replaying that moment in her head. 

She remembered, clearly remembered how he had kissed, and comparing it with Sora, who was slow and steady and playful; Riku was desperate, hungry, but even so..

 

_I think i enjoyed kissing him._

 

Kairi held her pillow tighter. 

 

_Kairi, what is wrong with you?! You're dating Sora, stop!_

 

Two days had passed since then, and Kairi was never able to get up from bed or fall asleep without thinking about him. 

Riku had treated her like before. Caring, quiet, not getting too involved with her business unless necessary. Kudos to him for remembering how it was like before, because now she doesn't even remember how he acted before all of this. 

She wanted to talk to Sora. She missed him so much, but if she did, how would he think of her knowing that all of this had happened?

Her phone vibrated. Checking the time, she realised that she was running late for her tutorship!

 

*

 

Kairi is late. 

 

Riku watched as Larxene annoyingly tapped the pen nib on his table, Trying her best not to break the desk. Should he call her?

He motioned to get his cellphone from the table beside the sofa, until a faint click of the door opening brought him to a pause. 

"It's about time." Larxene muttered to herself. "Sit down, Kairi."

Larxene stood up, walking towards the bookshelf at the other end of the room, leaving the two alone for just a moment. 

Kairi and Riku exchanged glances for a second there, the events clearly reflected in their thoughts like it just happened yesterday. Riku watched Kairi snap out of her daze for a second, sitting on another end of the table in cold fashion. 

"Everything okay?" Riku asked, in an attempt to break the ice. 

Kairi took a pregnant moment before replying. "Yeah."

_You don't look so sure._  He wanted to say. 

 

*

 

_I forgot to bring my wallet._

Kairi internally groaned, contemplating kicking the vending machine to spew out the goods she wanted to buy. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she turned around and began to walk away, until she noticed a silver haired boy walk nearby. 

Memories immediately spring up in her head, recalling the days after the party. 

These kinds of conflicted memories would eventually drive her mad. 

 

"Hey." Riku called over nonchalantly. "Getting ice cream?" 

 

_Pretend like nothing happened._

 

_"_ Yeah." She shrugged. "I forgot my wallet." 

He chuckles and moves past her, slipping a few coins into the machine swiftly, The two packets of popsicles popping out seconds after. Riku picked it up gently, handing one to Kairi with ease. 

"Here." He says, eyeing her closely.

"Thanks." She took the popsicle packet, fingers touching for a few seconds.

 

Riku watched Kairi walk away slowly, not bothering to eat it with him. 

 

"Hey, Kairi!" He exclaimed, walking after her. She shouldn't still be conflicted like this. Done with his stupid crush or not, he is still responsible for what she feels. 

 

And it's going to kill him if Sora comes home when Kairi is still feeling this way. 

 

*

 

When he finally caught up to her, he found her sitting by the docks on the beach. Sitting alone eating ice cream. 

 

"You're a real jerk, Riku." She says loud enough for him to hear. "Did you know that?"

 

_Kairi is crying._

 

"How could you just tell me that you like me, take it back, and then pretend like nothing happened so easily?"

Riku moved towards her slowly. Kairi sobbed harder. 

"I moved on, Kairi." He spoke quietly. "Sometimes a crush doesn't always last that long, and sometimes the reason for that is because of many circumstances."

She didn't say anything. 

"It's odd for me to just not have a crush on you this fast anymore, but you need to know that it took me _alot_ of my mental capacity to accept the fact that you would choose Sora anyway."

"But you still kissed me." She cried. "And you still confessed."

"I haven't accepted the circumstances yet." He said bluntly. "And like an idiot, I just let the hidden fact out to the world."

Kairi turned to look at him. "Now I look like a jerk."

Riku shook his head. "I don't blame you. Love is contagious. I moved on, now you have to learn to live with the fact that your best friend kissed you, confessed, and moved on, accepting the fact that it will never happen."  
"Kairi, you need to get over it. Either pretend like it was just another mistake caused by Riku being drunk, or find another way out to let the things making you upset go."

  
_Do it for Sora's sake._ He wanted to say. 

 

*

 

"Yume told me something before she talked to Sora." Riku said as he watched Kairi practice with a wooden keyblade model, seeing how her feet strides over the shore of the play island.  
  
Kairi had asked if Riku could supervise her training earlier today, while they had a day off from tutoring. And thus, they met up here in the island, knowing no one would be there.   
  
"She told me that Love is a weird thing."

 

"Excuse me?" She paused.

 

"Back in Radiant Garden, she told me that love is complicated." He began, remembering Yume’s explanation. “She came to me personally seeking closure and apologizing about my rejection.”

 

*

 

"Love can trick you to think that you have a crush on someone just because they did something to you, something that you will remember for the rest of your life." She says quietly, her hands folded on the kitchen table.

"Maybe you developed feelings for me because you had the drive to protect me, like I was this fragile person and that brought us closer. Maybe I did the same just because you held me when I realised who I was. But all of that is just a sad excuse to why we really did fall in love. We never had chemistry in the first place; that developed because of the circumstances we had at the time." She continues, words flowing like a stream.

  
Riku eyes her oddly. He glances at his wall clock and wonders if Sora and Kairi will question his absence. 

 

_"I was a nobody, Riku.  When my Nobody finally leaves, it’s still unlikely that The Somebody, and I don’t know if that person will return next week or next year, or not at all. "_ _  
  
__"You've seen my heartless counterpart, haven't you? Modeled completely after my childhood friend, in form and personality. I once thought that I may be the fake and he may be the real one, and my somebody might be him instead, and I'm just an embodiment of the memory of the girl he looks after."_ __  
  
"Yume.." He stammers. “You don’t have to say anything.” She cuts him. “I don’t expect you to say much. Just listen.”

  
“I didn’t regret parting with you that day with a short note.” She continues. “I just regret not telling you not to live out the rest of your life heartbroken because of me. "

 

*

 

"Were you using me for rebound, Riku?" Kairi set the wooden toy on the sand. "Is that what it all was?"

He remained quiet.

"I can understand if you were, Riku. Please be honest with yourself."

"Maybe." He shrugs. "Perhaps the thing you and I had can be put it that way."

"Maybe isn't an honest answer."

"I won't deny that the crush I had for you is not an excuse for me to rebound from Yume." He says. "But if you want to think that I am rebounding, then it's fine."

Kairi frowns. Then why did she manage to think to herself that she might've enjoyed kissing Riku?

 

_Love can trick you to think that you have a crush on someone just because they did something to you, something that you will remember for the rest of your life._

 

"You should get back to practicing those combos." Riku moves towards her, handing the wooden replica. "Get your mind off the drama for today." 

_You just think you liked Riku just because he protected you when Sora isn't there and that he kissed you, isn't it?  
_

"Okay." 

Kairi swung the keyblade in several angles and directions, turning 360 occasionally as if she would be dealing a swarm. 

 

"You're doing it wrong, Kai." A voice emerges. 

 

Kairi dropped the sword and turned around. She knew that voice.  

 

"Hey." Sora smiled, arms open and welcoming. "I'm back."

 

With no hesitation, Kairi ran into them. Sora wraps his arms around her, remembering how their embrace was like two jigsaw pieces perfectly fitting with each other.

"Whoa," Sora chuckled to himself. "This is new."

Kairi grins brightly. "I just missed you so much."

He pulls away first. "I got you something." 

She watches Sora dig into his pant pockets, fishing out a small familliar trinket.

 

It was her good luck charm, the wayfinder that was crafted from thalassa shells. 


	9. Chapter eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please note and remember that although the story is mine, the characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney.  
> And also, please comment if you feel like it or if I said something wrong. A good critique is always needed.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> -Kye

 “So,” Riku starts, as if nothing happened between him and Kairi. “Keyblade master, huh?”

 

Sora pulls away from his embrace, releasing Kairi. “You sound like you’re doubting that.”

Riku smirks and walks towards the two. “Want to test that?”

Kairi backs away a little. “Guys, Sora just got here and you’re already at this?”

The guys seem to ignore her. Sora summons his keyblade, a thing that he rarely does unless he knows no one will catch him doing it. No one he doesn’t want to know about it, that is.

“Can’t you take this place somewhere else?” She bargains weakly. “Somewhere private?”

Riku disregards her further, summoning his own keyblade. “Then you look out for people coming here, Kai. You can do that, right?”

Kairi tries to say something in protest, hesitant to just let these two duel at it. Even if this has been done many times, she never likes it, friendly match or not.

Sora just got home. Wouldn’t he need a break?

“Relax,”Sora reassures, his signature goofy grin plastered on his face. “Did you forget that worse things have happened?”

Kairi takes a deep breath. Has she gotten used to the quiet life already?

She knows very well that Sora and Riku were never given a break after their long journeys. Even if they had a moment of peace, a pause in the battles, they were never able to rest with the feeling that they don’t have to fight anymore. 

She shakes her head. “Alright. Try not to hurt yourselves.” 

 

_*_

 

  
_"_ You know the rules, boys." Kairi announced, standing firmly. The three were in the platform to the side of the island, one only accessible by climbing a ladder. "No injuries, no magic spells, no flashy commands, shotlocks, and if you feel like you cannot continue or on the verge of a knockout, _yield."_

Sora drew his keyblade, the one he used to use, the classic yellow handle and silver blade a rarity these days ever since he switched it for a new one. Riku did the same, save keeping his second default. 

" _En guard,"_ Kairi held her hand high. Sora and Riku positioned themselves across the wooden planks, taking in a deep breath. Sora had a rank to prove, and Riku had a new Master to test. 

"Looser buys ice cream?" Riku bets. 

" _Alles!"_ She shoots it down in an arch like a knife on a choppng board, starting the round. This isn't fencing, but the boys had always wanted to train with those two phrases starting the training round. 

"You're on!" Sora starts, leaping into the air and landing behind Riku, close enough and quick enough to start his combo with a spinning slice. 

Riku dodges with a blackflip, landing with a slide against the wooden floor. At least he wears gloves, Kairi muses. Riku won't get that many splinters this time. 

Riku high jumps as Sora charges yet again, diving in to hit sora from the back, and that he does. 

Sora is caught off guard, slammed against the walls that shield them from falling off the platform. This was Kairi's idea, and it was her job to maintain it as they spar. Riku goes after him, but Sora rolls away and knocks him off his feet, Riku's head hitting the ground. Sora stands up, seeing that Riku's keyblade is flung to the other end of the platform.

 

For a second there, Sora pauses, hesitant. Did he remember something?

 

Sora's keyblade dissappears, and he walks over to Riku, lending a hand to help him up. 

"Is everything alright?" Riku asks. He doesn't bother to say that he lost or comment on Sora's improvement.  

Sora shrugs. "I'm fine. Just another flashback."

 

Riku doesn't pry. "Come on. I'll buy you ice cream."

  

*

 

Sora sat on the many chairs provided by the ice cream shop, mulling over that flashback. 

 

_That flashback of Roxas, fighting Sora that night in the World that Never Was, mercilessly banging his twin keyblades against Sora's._

_Sora's own keyblade then flew out of his hands, and then he scrambled to come after it, only for Roxas to lock its handle to the ground with Oathkeeper, while Oblivion was aimed at Sora._

That was so long ago. Why is he still seeing this?

 

_Are you trying to say something, Roxas?_

  
_"_ Sora."

 

Kairi's hand was on his hands clenched together. Her small fingers looked so tiny compared to his. She looked at him with concern, as if she knew something was wrong. 

"Sorry." Sora tries to take in a deep breath. For her sake, he will try to be happy. "That sparring match.. It sort of reminded me of the time Roxas tried to fight me."

Kairi eyes him. "At least you're home." She says, without reason to pry. "Perhaps Naminé will talk to him."

Sora shrugs. "Perhaps."

Kairi smiles softly. Oh, how much Sora had yearned to see her this way. Slowly, he found himself leaning into her, bringing his hand to her cheek. Kairi by then, had closed her eyes. 

 

"Ahem."

 

Riku sighs and shakes his head. He's still smiling, but it looks more like a joke at the two. 

"I thought you weren't comfortable kissing in public, Sora."

"Shut up, Riku."

Kairi giggles. Riku slides over the ice cream sundaes - three scoops of completely random flavors with mint leaves on top. 

 

_He did say he'd buy the ice cream, not buy our usual ones._

"What's with the sundae?" Kairi asks. "You usually opt to save money, Riku."

Riku shrugs. "Problem with sundaes?"

Kairi shakes her hands. "Oh no, it's just that it's strange for you to do this. You don't take losses easily."

Riku rolls his eyes. "Shut up, Kai."

 

_The two really have gotten close while I was gone._

"So what happened while I was out?" Sora asks. 

Riku looks up at Kairi. Kairi doesn't say anything. 

"Not much." Riku says. "Just the bonfire and more lessons."

"Larxene seemed to be happy you were gone." Kairi commented. 

Sora snorts. "I was the annoying student."

The three chuckle. Sora grinned his usual goofy smile. He was glad to be back home, and this time, nothing will get in the way of the relationships he had with these two. 


	10. Chapter nine

"Hi, Naminé." Roxas greets.  

They were always careful around each other. Roxas thought that he would be as close to her like how Sora would with Kairi, but he didn't see it. 

Naminé knows too, and she won't tell him why it is so. Something about forgotten memories that should be left that way. 

 

Was it for his sake that she said that?

 

"That was an accident." He sighs. "I'm sorry."  
Naminé sighs. "Be careful, Roxas."  
"I know." He looks at her. "Naminé, even I know what's going on."  
"I apologize for that too." She sighs again. "I wanted to tell you what happened while Sora was out, but.." 

"But you'll think I'll give Sora the thought that Riku and Kairi had a thing?" Roxas finishes for her. She nods. 

"I heard the last bits of the conversation, Naminé." He explains. "Sora didn't catch much, but I know what is going on."

"Are you going to tell him, then?" She asks, her voice even softer. 

"I don't know." Roxas runs his hands through his hair. "I don't want to intrude, but it's not right to leave him in the dark. Even if I add in my memories of the conversation one at the time, it doesn't feel right if i do it."

Naminé doesn't reply. She always does that when she doesn't have anything to say. 

 

Then she disappears. 

 

*

 

The tutoring session usually starts at eight and finishes up at one, mainly focusing on science since _let's face it, we could use a huge boost on that subject. Math and English are fine._

After that is lunch, and this time, the three decide to eat out instead of in Riku's place. Roxas continues to idly stand by while this is all taking place. He always found himself glancing at Kairi, wondering if Namine is watching too. The trio head to a nearby diner, sitting down by the booths that are right beside the window seat. He watches them collectiing the sparse amount of munny they brought with them, counting the munny to see if they could afford anything to split together, like nachos or a waffle stack. Kairi busies herself with the money, ocassionally checking the menu while Sora chatters about, recieving short nods and brisk replies. It's not her fault for being short with her responses; Sora assumes. Kairi's still counting. 

_Or is it?_

Roxas glances over to Riku, who sits alone on the opposite end, watching the counting process. This all takes a few seconds, but why does it feel like several minutes? 

Roxas soon notices that Riku is stealing glances at her as well, knowing that Sora wouldn't notice this. Yet. 

"Good news guys," She finally says. "We could grab a nacho to split and drinks for each of us! How does that sound?"

Now here's what's odd. Kairi is looking up at Riku when she says this, instead of towards Sora's general direction and _then_ to Riku. The glance at Sora is late when she realises this, but Sora still hasn't picked up. Is it too subtle for him?

"How about we get a smoothie to share, Kai?" Sora playfully suggests, nudging her arm. She giggles at this. 

"Alright, Sora. Riku, how about you?"

"Coffee." He states shortly, yawning right after. "Haven't gotten a sip of it lately."

Kairi flags the waitress to place their orders, and Roxas sees Riku still staring at Kairi, although at first glance he's seeing whether the waitress will come or not. Amd annoyingly as usual, Sora is looking for the waitress, also stealing glances at Kairi's vibrant aura. 

Once it's confirmed that the waitress is coming over, Kairi turns to face the table again, and surprisingly locks eyes with Riku, exchanging looks and quickly looking away, realising that it isn't right.

  
_Come on, Sora._ Roxas urges silently. _How can you be so blind?_

_*_

The meal was quiet. Awfully quiet. The many attempts to create conversation on Sora's end was lost, the only person bothering to reply was Kairi herself, but even so it were always short, with no room for continuing said conversation. Riku was all too silent, and he was the one who always continued the chatter. 

Kairi reached for another nacho chip, and she didn't notice that Riku was doing the same until their hands bumped into each other. Sora was drinking the last bits of his smoothie that he shared with Kairi, and he didn't notice how Riku and Kairi looked up into each other with a small degree of shock as they quickly retracted their hands barehandedly. 

But at this point, he knew something was wrong. 

"Did something happen while I was away?" Sora breaks the ice. "You guys seem awfully tense."

Riku and Kairi exchange glances again. What was there to say? Sora noticed this and found it extremely suspicious. 

It was Kairi who finally spoke up. "Riku was still not over the fact that he was talking to his ex when you left. He won't tell me why it still bugs him, or what they were discussing."

Sora chuckles. "You still haven't let go of the past, Riku?"

Riku grunts. "This is something else, Sora. Either way, neither one of those is any of your business."'

Namine frowns. Is Sora really going to believe this half baked Lie Kairi made up? And since when does she even lie, and to cover Riku, nevertheless! Stealing a glance, she sees that Sora is frowning a little, suspicious. 

  
_You two are on thin ice._ Namine thinks to herself. _How will you pull through?_

_*_

The meal was short and filled with small talk that wasn't very entertaining. For his part, Riku remained silent while Kairi continuously talked with Sora, making sure that he doesn't gather any hints of what happened while he was gone. 

Kairi stole glances at Riku occasionally as she sipped the drink she shared with Sora, who only shook his head so lightly it seemed as if he wasn't even doing it. 

_Don't mind me._ He seemed to say. 

Kairi realised how sad she felt for Riku. This seems rather unfair. 

 

"Kairi?" 

 

She looked back. Sora was standing before her, a small worried frown on his face. It had been several hours after their shared meals, and she had barely spent time with Sora after that, to her shame. 

"Hi." She replied with a small voice. 

"Is everything alright?"

Kairi nodded slowly. "Yeah. What's wrong?"

Kairi could tell that Sora didn't like talking about whatever he seemed to be talking about, judging by his strained and forced expressions. 

"I heard you and Riku on the island when I got home." He finally says, tightening his grip on Kairi's hand. "Something about rebounding?" 

Kairi wondered how she looked to Sora. Was she tensed up? Is she getting nervous in his eyes?"

"Kairi, what happened between you two?" Sora asks softly. 

"I'm sorry." She blurts out. 

 

Sora's face looks torn now. "What?"

 

"I'm sorry, Sora. I have something to do." She swallows air. "I'll tell you later, alright?"


	11. Chapter ten

"Sora's getting suspicious." 

  
Riku did not expect to see her this late at night, hours after the lights across the islands had died down. She must've done this on purpose, to make sure Sora doesn't catch her and think of this like cheating. 

Riku doesn't say anything at first, letting Kairi inside before closing the door. She doesn't bother to take a seat.

"How did you know?" He asks, sounding calm despite the fact that he was internally freaking out. 

"He just asked me right away." Kairi blurted out. "He heard the conversation we had back at the island, and he was asking about you and rebounding and-"

"What did you answer?" Riku cut her off, grasping her shoulder.   
  
Kairi then looks away. 

"I didn't answer." She mutters. "I just left."

Riku felt like face palming. "Kairi, that's a horrible mistake. Why didn't you just tell him the truth?"

"I didn't want to tell him without you knowing first. I'd feel really guilty if I did, and it just doesn't seem fair.."

"You're not making any sense, Kairi. Look at me." He urges, gripping her shoulder harder. 

And she does. She looks at him with such ferocity that he wonders about how she really feels.

*

_It doesn't seem fair that you're sacrificing your happiness for me and Sora._ _  
_

Those were the exact words she wanted to say. Those were the words that made her feel uneasy when she realised how Riku feels, knowing how close the three of them were and her relationship with Sora. But if she said it out loud, things would be making less sense and it would make it sound as if even Kairi herself also has feelings for Riku. Somehow.

They're staring into each other's eyes, tense and rigid in the dark. Riku is still gripping her shoulder, and she wonders if he is trying to resists his cravings for another kiss.

"Next time," Riku leans in closer, placing another hand on her other shoulder. "Tell Sora the truth. Don't stretch it, bend it, whatever. If he asked for it, you may as well give it to him, straight to the point."

Kairi swallows again. What is Riku doing, getting so close to her like this?

"Also," he whispers. "I'm sorry."

He pushes her to the wall and hungrily kisses her before she could say anything else. She tries to push him off, but why can't she find the drive to do so?   
Too many thoughts are filling up in her head. About Sora, who would always cheer her up, and of Riku, the person in the shadows dealing with his own demons and constantly disregarding how he feels for the sake of Sora and Kairi especially.

Thinking of that hurts alot, but even if she feels sad for him, kissing him like this, when they already sworn that they would never do, it feels wrong. It feels like she's someone easy to get, it feels like she's a cheater, a _slut._ _  
_

Her heart ached thinking about it. 

Kairi couldn't bring herself to kiss him back. If anything, she was held still while Riku did the rest. Slowly, slowly, she started to push, and Riku moved back with ease.

"Kairi." He whispers again. "I--"

"I really can't do this, Riku. I can't even think properly when you're around reminding me of all _this._ "

"I thought I was over this when I was fifteen, you know." He says, loosening his grip on Kairi. "Too much was on the line, and I barely even had time for romance, let alone bother with it." 

"Sora, on the other hand, still had room to care about finding you. I was too preoccupied with my own problems. Heck, one of them was making sure you two would be safe by helping Sora in his pinches just so he could see you again." _  
_

Kairi's gaze falters. "What are you implying, Riku."

"I thought I was over it when I bottled it up to allow me to focus on defeating my ghosts. But they didn't dissappear. They were like that; bottled up, soon to burst one day, and I was too stupid to realise that until it was too late, and by then, I had already forgotten who I was; all because of the fact that my demons almost took over me."

 

_Darkness. Memories. Pressure of being a Keyblade Master._ Kairi remembers. _He and Sora aren't completely used to the life of a praceful islander._ _  
_

 

"You're not the same person you used to be." She speaks. "You've changed, just like everyone else."

Kairi didn't say anything when Riku held onto her tightly, like she was something he's scared of letting go. 

 

Perhaps for once, she'll be the shoulder the boys will cry on.

  
*

Kairi was sitting alone on the papopu tree, watching the sunset. The star shaped fruit was in her hand, halfway eaten. 

She had barely talked to any of the boys during class today, and it seemed that the two had felt it too. A rift had started to grow between the three of them, and it felt like her worst fears were really coming true. 

And she can't do a thing about it. 

"Mind if I sit here?" 

She turned to see Sora, smiling faintly and a little hesitant. She felt awful for distancing herself from the boys, but how could she pretend like nothing happened and act the same way?

Sora hadn't asked her anything. Not in front of Riku. 

What would she say to him if she asks now? She can't say that they kissed drunkedly anymore, knowing the things that were really going on. Riku still _wanted_ her, even if she was taken; and he kissed her like it was no problem at all. 

 

_I don't even know how I feel for Sora and Riku anymore._

 

This can't go on any longer. 

"Yeah." Kairi says, moving to the side to make room for Sora to sit. 

Sora leaps onto the tree trunk with ease, something he’s done his entire life. Kairi remains quiet and waits for him to say something so she doesn’t have to.

“Are you okay?” He asks. Somehow, it felt like she’s heard that question one too many times already. “You seem a little too quiet back there.”  
She doesn’t say anything.

“It’s about the thing that happened between you two, isn’t it?”

Kairi bites her cheek. Gosh, does it have to be this soon to tell him?

“Yeah.” She shortly admits. “I just don’t know how to feel about all of that.”

Sora scooches in closer, bridging the distance between the two of them. Kairi was painfully aware of all of it, feeling his legs touching hers and how his hand rests on top of hers.

“Kairi, what happened?” He asks carefully, his voice just above a whisper.

“Can I just say something first, Sora?” She looks at him. He nods.

“If I tell you,” She begins. “I don’t know if we will ever be the same again. I don’t know if you will start hating me, or you’ll decide to leave me and whether if the three of us will still continue to be friends.”

Sora frowns. “Kairi.. You know that won’t happen.”

Kairi shakes her head. “Anything can happen, Sora.”

“Was it really that bad, Kairi?” He asks.

Kairi felt herself to be at a loss of words. “I’m sure you could already see how awkwardly distant the three of us were, Sora. I don’t want to make it worse..”

Sora held her hand firmly. “If it already happened, you can’t do anything about it, Kai. So what’s the big deal?”

Kairi gripped his hand harder. “Sora..”

Sora just continued to stare at her. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him now.

“We kissed at the bonfire.” Kairi begins slowly. She didn’t have to mentioned whether Riku had spent the night with her or not, as not even Sora had minded that. But the kisses Riku stole after that drunk episode wouldn’t slip past him. Kairi paused for a while, seeing if Sora would say anything.

He didn’t, and she continued.

 

*

 

Kairi was on the urge of crying when she was over. Sora could practically feel the pain radiating from her as she explained everything guiltily.

“I’m so sorry..” She said yet again. “It just wasn’t fair for Riku to be left alone, but it was wrong on so many levels, and-“

Sora couldn’t say anything. He understood Kairi’s feelings – of sympathy, more likely – for Riku and his own situation, and now even _he_ felt guilty for not realizing how Riku would feel throughout all of this.

In short, Sora didn’t expect Riku to have this much angst in him.

“Hey.” Sora cuts her off. “I get it, alright?”

Kairi nods, a little sad. “I really didn’t mean to, you know..”

Wordlessly, Sora pulled her in tight, running his hands through her hair.

 

Slowly, slowly, Kairi cried her heart out.


	12. Chapter eleven

The three of them had called for a temporary hiatus on the classes, but all three of them knew that it would come to an end soon. They would all have to take the standardized tests - a blessing considering that the school gave them a special exception knowing that they were already a little bit too old to take it. Soon Riku would start working, Sora's mom would push him to college, and Kairi would be focusing on defending herself - something Yen Sid recommended. 

"Gosh, Riku." Sora began, not even bothering to look at him. "I really have no words for you."

Kairi was stopping by at Sora's to return a jacket that he had left at her place - something forgotten, but she had to return it regardless. The heated conversation could be heard from where Kairi stood in the back door, and she couldn't bring it to herself to come inside. 

"I do truly feel bad for you, as a friend and a brother. But I'm sorry, there's nothing any of us could do about it. Kairi's is already taken and you know that, don't you?"

Kairi could practically envision how pained Sora was. How betrayed he felt. Kairi was at fault here too, but why hadn't Sora taken it out on her? Sora never wanted to sound possessive, but if he made it sound that way..

Everyone had to know that the things he are going to say aren't meant to take with a grain of salt. 

 

_Instead of saying "Kairi is mine," he's talking about me in the third person._

_Why?_

 

"Why didn't you say how you had felt before, Riku? Why now? Was it because of how I was absent, and you took the chance and covering it up by being drunk beforehand?"

 

Silence. Then, the thud of a fist slamming down.

 

"Was it because you were able to take advantage of Kairi's heart that way? How just because her Heart is void of darkness unlike yours, you thought things would go smoothly?"

 

_Stop._ Kairi thought. _Please, stop._

 

"Actually, were you going to empty your share of darkness on her?!"

 

This isn't like Sora to be this way. Kairi thought, wincing and gripping the jacket harder. She inched back slowly, wanting to pretend that she didn't hear any of this. That none of this happened, that the things that took place didn't reach Sora's ears.

 

Or better, never took place at all. 

 

She was moving faster now, ready to bolt out the back yard, when her leg accidentally caused one of the potted plants to tumble and fall and crash, the pot shattering across the yard. 

 

"What was that?"

 

Kairi bolted just as the boys came into view, not caring whether they saw her or not. 

 

She just ran. 

  

*

 

Kairi had heard him. She had heard everything. 

 

Sora hadn't even looked at him in the eye yet, and Riku couldn't say anything to bring Sora back onto his good side. 

But what was Sora going to do after this? He doubted that Sora could let it be. As far as memory goes, Kairi hadn't gotten scolded by Sora, but there's some chance that she will never will, being the innocent girl in Sora's eyes. 

 

"She's not pure as you think." Riku combated Sora, a late reply. "If she was, she wouldn't be able to know what is wrong and what is right. She would never have experienced this kind of adventure and battles like us."

 

Riku didn't check to see if Sora had heard. 

 

"Kairi is just as human as the rest of us."

 

*

 

That day, the trio grew distant. Sora began to question why he liked the girl he once percieved as innocent, and Kairi wondered if she was there for the guys as their... Healer; to give them light, warmth, happiness and hope after their battles against darkness instead of being their close friend. Riku came to terms with his own feelings, and let time do the rest, knowing that he couldn't pursue the girl he wanted if he was still thinking about his ex or because he felt left out. 

 

The question was, who was in love in the first place? And did that person's love interest love them back?

 

This was the question the three had in their thoughts for the period they became distant. It was a very ambiguous problem, and this was the question - the topic - that drew them apart, just as Kairi had feared. 

 

Four years have passed. Riku got promoted, Sora graduated, and Kairi was about to leave for the test of mastery. 

 

"Kairi." A familliar voice calls, right before Kairi crossed the portal to beyond. 

 

Sora and Riku were there, seeing her off. This was the first time, it seems, that the three have come together to talk to each other again. Kairi could feel the rift between them, although now it felt less far, instead growing closer. Whether or not time had mended their wounds, she will never know.  

"Good luck." Riku says, handing her a bundle, filled with potions and the like. "Come back a warrior princess, alright?"

Kairi nods. She looks over to Sora, who is still childishly shy as usual. Even after they stopped seeing each other, Sora never changed how he was lacking romantic experience. 

"Here." Sora took her hand in his, something they had not done in what felt like eons; and placed a charm hanging on a keychain, resembling the paopu tree and reminding her of the memories they - all of them - had together. 

 

The wayfinder felt fragile in her hands. She held it close and treasured it. "Thank you."

 

"We'll see you soon, okay?" Sora asks. Somehow, he looks worried. Scared. "You'll come back, right?"

Kairi nods, firm and determined. "Let's have lunch together when I return."

 

"It's a promise."


End file.
